The present invention relates generally to carrying cases and, more particularly, to a protective case for portable electronic paging devices.
Portable electronic paging devices, also known as "pagers" or "beepers", are small, lightweight radio receivers which typically emit an audible signal or tone when activated, that is, when a radio signal of a specific frequency has been received by it.
Such beepers or pagers are used to notify a person that someone is attempting to contact him or her. In response to the activation of the pager, the person being paged may then go to a telephone and call a central office to receive a full message.
A typical paging system has a central transmitter sending out radio signals over a given frequency range and within a defined geographic area. A subscriber to the system, wishing to contact a person carrying a pager, can access the transmitter by, for example, telephoning in a pre-assigned code number. The transmitter will then broadcast a signal on the frequency selected for use for the particular pager involved. This signal will activate the pager and will produce an audible tone, thus notifying the wearer that a message is waiting.
On some such pagers, a digital read-out screen, or dial, makes possible the transmission of a code number, telephone number, or alphanumeric message by the central transmitter, whereupon the person carrying the pager may refer to the read-out and may, for example, directly telephone the number, rather than having to call a central office for further information.
Such pagers differ from more conventional two-way communication devices, such as radios, in the sense that there is no return transmission of information from the user of the pager. Thus, no conversation takes place between the user of the pager and the central transmitting station. Instead, the pager is a receiver only, and is intended to notify a user that someone wishes to contact the user. After such notification, other, more conventional, and less portable forms of communication, such as telephones or two-way radio equipment may thereafter be used.
By their very nature, such pagers are most useful when they are carried out in the field, away from the office, thus providing an effective way to notify someone out in the field that a message is waiting. As an example, on construction sites, those in charge of directing various aspects of the construction work may typically carry such pagers onsite, to maintain contact with the central office.
The very portability of such a pager has also caused problems in day to day use. For example, it is typical that such pagers are provided with attached belt clips so that the user may mount the pager to a belt or a pocket, thus positioning the pager where the signal tone will be audible. Such mounting clips typically do not provide strong, positive mounting capabilities, and it is easy for the pager to become dislodged and thereafter damaged by being jarred loose from the user's belt or pocket and falling to the ground. On a construction site, the ground may be a number of stories up, virtually assuring substantial damage to the pager and possible personal injury to workers below.
Damage may also occur to the pager when the pager is struck, even though the pager does not become dislodged from the user's belt or pocket. This can occur when the pager is left exposed with an inadequate protective case or covering.
Prior efforts to deal with these problems have centered about providing carrying cases or other devices separately attachable to a wearer's belt and into which the pager may be inserted or onto which the pager may be clipped. The simplest of these is a sheath with a loop attached to the sheath and sized to enable a belt to be passed through the loop. Such a sheath typically is formed as a sleeve having its top open and its bottom closed off, with the dimensions of the sleeve closely approximating the dimensions of the pager. The pager is held therewithin by the friction between the pager itself and the inner walls of the sleeve, and may also be partially held thereon by the mounting clip, if any, which overlaps the outside of the sleeve and bears against it. Such carrying cases provide no positive way to retain the pager in the sleeve and quite often allow the pager to slide out, particularly after the case has been used for some time and the material forming the case has been stretched.
Another approach to the solution of this problem has been to provide a case having a window or cut-out on one wall to enable the mounting clip of the pager to overlap the wall until the lowermost portion of the clip reaches the window, wherein the lowermost edge of the mounting clip engages the window. Particularly where such a mounting clip has a lip or other projection extending across the lowermost portion of the clip, such an arrangement provides an additional measure of retaining force. However, exposing the mounting clip along the outer surface of the carrying case leaves the clip vulnerable to impact and damage. Where the clip overlaps the rear of the carrying case, the clip necessarily comes into contact with that portion of the case at which the case is mounted to a user's belt. This means that each time the pager is inserted into or removed from the case, the clip contacts the belt and gets tangled in it.
Yet another problem typified by the existing prior art is the adjustment, operation, and reading of any indicators, controls, and/or digital displays on the pager without requiring the pager to be withdrawn from its protective case. Where, for example, a digital readout on a pager is positioned along the front face plate thereof, as in the display paging device manufactured under the trade name NEC, either the pager must be removed from the case or the case removed from the belt in order to enable the user to read the digital message.
The particular problem addressed by the present invention is that of providing protection for the paging device in a manner which completely covers the device until it is activated, and then provides a quick, efficient, and convenient way to gain access to the device, to read or adjust the device, and readily and simply to return it to its fully protective posture within the carrying case.
Accordingly, the need exists for a carrying case for portable electronic devices such as the pagers heretofore discussed, wherein said pagers may be fully protected yet may also be conveniently available for use, reading, or adjustment without requiring the pager to be removed from the case or the case to be removed from the wearer's belt or pocket.
These and further objects and advantages of my invention will best be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings wherein: